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Revisit memorable performances of Garrison Keillor's signature monologue, The News from Lake Wobegon, from rebroadcasts of the live public radio program A Prairie Home Companion. Garrison created A Prairie Home Companion in July 1974 and hosted for 42 years, until July 2016. Enjoy classic tales from the town where "all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Produced by American Public Media. Twitter: @prairie_home
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Many of us are familiar with Grimm's Fairy Tales, or children's stories from France, England, China, India and Germany, but are less aware of similar folk tales and children's stories from Japan. Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki captures the exotic flavor, traditions and customs of this ancient land.
Published in 1903 entitled the Japanese Fairy Book, the title was changed in the 1908 edition to Japanese Fairy Tales. Theodora Ozaki was the daughter of a wealthy Japanese aristocrat Baron Ozaki, the first Japanese man to study in the West, and his wife, an American schoolteacher's daughter. The couple separated after a brief marriage and Theodora lived with her father in Japan. She worked as a secretary and spent much of her spare time collecting traditional Japanese stories. She was encouraged to publish the collection by the Scottish writer Andrew Lang, who was himself an accomplished writer of children's literature.
The twenty-two stories contained in this volume include one of the best-known Japanese tales, The Tongue-Cut Sparrow, which tells of a vengeful old woman who cruelly cuts off the tongue of her husband's talking sparrow. The charming details in this story are indeed very interesting, as many of the architectural and cultural features of Japanese houses and traditions are provided in it. The Ogre of Rashomon is another macabre tale, while the delightful Adventures of Kintaro the Golden Boy is sure to charm young and old. An interesting feature is that the author often gives the meaning of Japanese words and terms and explains many of the customs for the benefit of non-Japanese readers. In the preface she states that her aim is to bring these beautiful tales to those outside her country so that they may love and enjoy them too.
The original edition had some superb illustrations and wood-cuts by Japanese artists. -
Little Stories for Tiny People features original stories the whole family will love. Filled with endearing characters and inventive story lines, LSFTP is sure to spark your child’s imagination and to delight the entire family. Lovingly crafted to appeal to all ages, LSFTP is perfect for car rides, bedtime, or any time! Little Stories Premium offers even more stories, an ad-free listening experience, and access to Little Stories for Sleep, an exclusive bedtime podcast. Visit www.littlestoriespremium.com to learn more.
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Conversations about DIY, Home Design, and family. Chris Loves Julia is a DIY home design blog that started in 2008. It has since become the go to place for design and home renovation info for millions of readers. On this podcast we go behind the curtain on blogging, home renovation, and design in general and how it all relates to having a home that is "lived in" by a family.
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The show that's dedicated to helping aspiring home cooks grow their skills and confidence in the kitchen so they can start cooking up memories with their family and friends. Whether you want to learn to cook or just need some simple food inspiration, we will cover recipes, kitchen tools, and interviews with experts to help you on your home cooking journey! On Twitter at @TKCpodcast /Facebook at facebook.com/kitchencounterpodcast / Instagram at https://instagram.com/kitchencounterpodcast
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The Mysterious Island is another exquisite novel written by the master of adventure writing, Jules Verne. The novel has been seen as the sequel to two other famous novels written by the same author: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaway.
The story revolves around five Americans who live in a dark and harsh environment as prisoners of the American Civil War. Depleted by famine and death all around them, the five war prisoners take a big risk and escape by hijacking a hot air balloon. The five fugitives, an engineer, a servant, a former slave, a sailor and a journalist have to face an ugly and destroying storm, crashing on a mysterious volcanic island.
The five men start a new living there, but circumstances soon become mysterious when a message in a bottle turns up on the beach. With pirate attacks and erupting volcanoes these five escapees get more than they bargained for. This book is a fun read for anyone with an adventurous spirit deep inside. -
One of the first instances of science fiction, Wells’ classic tale published in 1986 examines various controversial philosophical issues active at the time of its publication, most notable being the implications of vivisection and degeneration. Narrated by its everyman protagonist Edward Prendick, the novel follows the events of his stay at a mysterious island, home to ghastly secrets, horrors, and incomprehensible experiences. Furthermore, the novel features innovative themes which have become iconic in the modern science fiction genre, including moral and ethical responsibility, evolution, and man’s interference with the course of nature.
The novel begins when Edward Prendick, an educated gentleman is shipwrecked in the middle of nowhere, and is taken aboard a passing ship where he is revived by a man later introduced as Montgomery. The man explains to Prendick that he is headed to a private island where he works, along with the animals on the ship. While on board, Prendick also meets a gruesome brute by the name of M’ling, whom he believes to be Montgomery’s manservant. When Montgomery reaches his destination he initially refuses to accommodate Prendick after the captain demands he leave the ship, but later takes pity on his bleak circumstance and agrees to put him up. The protagonist is subsequently introduced to the cold and intense Dr. Moreau, whom Prendick recognizes as a former distinguished physiologist in London, whose horrific experiments in vivisection had been publicly exposed. Prendick is housed in an outer room of the enclosed compound, and is cautiously locked out of the inner part. Conquered by curiosity, he decides to explore the jungle where he comes face to face with a startling figure that marks the beginning of his task to unearth the shocking truth behind the segregated island and its beastly population.
The Island of Dr. Moreau brilliantly intrigues readers with its generous serving of ingenuity, abominable imagery and chilling hypothesis of the possible dangers of scientific progression. A literary classic, the novel imposes many ethical questions still relevant to modern society, and certain to provoke reaction. -
This little gem of a book was probably the first introduction to Shakespeare that most readers have had as children.
Tales from Shakespeare was written in 1807 by a young clerk called Charles Lamb in the offices of the East India Company. Lamb co-authored them with his beloved sister Mary. The pair lived together for life, having gone through immense trauma caused by mental illness and tragedy. However, far from being a melancholy duo, they led an active and ample social life in the company of some of the literary greats of the Romantic movement of the 19th century. His glittering circle included contemporary poets like Coleridge, Wordsworth, Southey and Leigh Hunt, the Chinese scholar Thomas Manning, political philosophers like William Godwin and his daughter the famous creator of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, and essayists like William Hazlitt. Charles Lamb also wrote excellent essays (compiled in a volume titled The Essays of Elia) and tried his hand at poetry and drama. Their regular Wednesday evening dinners were the gathering place for the best literary minds of the time.
The book is divided into two volumes, with Charles taking charge of Shakespeare's tragedies while Mary chose to work on the comedies and some of the historical plays. The preface was a joint effort and the book has remained a classic in its own right, delighting generations of children and spurring them on to read the original works of Shakespeare. Tales from Shakespeare was at one time, prescribed reading not just for children, but also for young women who were being groomed for marriage as a fundamental part of their literary education.
It provides a quick but comprehensive description of main themes, story-lines, characters and plots in each of Shakespeare's plays, with care taken to keep the spirit of Shakespearean English and usage intact. Tales from Shakespeare thus provide the basic storyline of each play. Many of the secondary characters and incidental plot lines so deemed by the authors have been omitted to keep the reader focused. The authors ensure that their own personalities never intrude into the narrative, and through this feat, they manage to keep Shakespeare alive throughout the book.
Written in a clear and concise style which is easy for children or those who are learning the language to understand, it renders the immortal plays in story form, providing access to some of the finest works in the English language. -
Part of the Voyages Extraordinaires series by French novelist Jules Verne, and also a sequel to his classic science fiction novel From the Earth to the Moon, Round the Moon presents the continuation of the gripping tale which ended with a cliffhanger and left readers to ponder over endless possibilities. Published in 1870, the novel presents an unprecedented journey into space, while focusing on space navigation, scientific calculations, unforeseen circumstances and dangerous encounters, which in turn mark the novel as prophetic of its time.
The novel launches with the reappearance of the distinct trio and first space travelers, Barbicane, Nicholl and Ardan, who have been launched out of a projectile and begin their visionary mission of lunar exploration. Having blacked out after being fired out of a space gun, the three adventurers later regain consciousness, extremely lucky to have escaped serious injury. However, their luck and sense of achievement is short-lived after the journey takes a shaky turn of events as an asteroid just barely misses the projectile. Although they escape near collision, the event marks the beginning of the misfortunes fixated on the journey including the death of Ardan’s dog, deviation, and intoxication by gases. Nevertheless, the valiant group maintains a positive attitude as they proceed with their initial objective to unravel the mysteries of space. Abundant in descriptive language, imagery and fantasy, the novel proves to be a successful sequel while additionally providing a resolution to a gripping story.
Verne’s Round the Moon only further strengthens his reputation as a visionary adventure novelist, as the novel proves to be a unique representation of space expedition and man’s curiosity about the unknown. Bearing in mind that the novel was written a century before the first lunar mission, the novel provides an interesting contrast between modern and past views concerning the topic of space travel, and demonstrates the extent of technological progression. -
The Happy Prince and Other Tales (also sometimes called The Happy Prince and Other Stories) is an 1888 collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde. It is most famous for The Happy Prince, the short tale of a metal statue who befriends a migratory bird. Together, they bring happiness to others, in life as well as in death. The stories included in this collection are:The Happy PrinceThe Nightingale and the RoseThe Selfish GiantThe Devoted FriendThe Remarkable RocketThe stories convey an appreciation for the exotic, the sensual and for masculine beauty.
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Philip and Lucy discover that the city Philip has built using toys, books and household objects, has come alive. This is the account of their incredible adventures in those magical lands, where they meet characters from books and history, mythical beasts, and many other nice (and not so nice) people and creatures. As with all Edith Nesbit’s tales, The Magic City has generous helpings of humour, imagination and interesting ideas, as well as the over-arching story of how a boy and girl who have unwillingly become step-brother and sister eventually learn to like each other. A story that works on many levels and will be equally enjoyed by adults and children.
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The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley is a collection of three Greek mythology stories: Perseus, The Argonauts, and Theseus. The author had a great fondness for Greek fairy tales and believed the adventures of the characters would inspire children to achieve higher goals with integrity.
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Girl Tales is a podcast featuring reimagined fairytales. Damsels in distress? Princesses in need of protection? You won’t find those here. The girls in our stories take control of their own destinies, turning your favorite fairytales into exciting new adventures. With energetic voice actors and professional sound design, these audio plays burst to life at the touch of a button. Episodes air every Monday.
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A children’s fantasy novel first published in 1907, The Enchanted Castle recounts the marvelous adventures encountered by a curious group of children searching to enliven their summer holiday. Written in episodes, the novel has a different adventure in store for its young heroes in each chapter, including vibrant statues, banquets with Greek gods, and reunited lovers.
The novel begins when siblings Gerald, James and Kathleen are required to spend their summer holiday in a boarding school, due to unfortunate events at home and are consequently left under the supervision of a French schoolmistress. The children seem to be sentenced to a summer of utter boredom, however, one day the children decide to explore the neighboring countryside in hopes of bringing excitement to their otherwise monotonous routine. During their time outside they stumble upon a secret passageway and follow its trail. When they emerge from the tunnel, they are engulfed by a castle situated in an elaborate garden, where they also meet a young girl Mabel, who declares she is a princess. Furthermore, Mabel claims that the castle is full of magic and leads them inside to show them its treasures, which includes a plain metal ring which supposedly causes invisibility. Naturally the children are skeptical and it is not until the ring actually does work and makes Mabel invisible, that they are swayed to believe the contrary. The four children panic and Mabel confesses that the country estate is not an enchanted castle and that she is simply the housekeeper’s niece, and not a princess. However what seemed to be an innocent game of dress-up takes a turn of events as the group get thrown into a magical frenzy indicating the beginning of their exciting adventures and a step away from their expected mundane summer.
Nesbit cleverly depicts the notion that one should be careful of what they wish for, because it just may come true, but never without a price. An engrossing tale of magic, fantasy, humor, and adventurous mishaps blended in an utmost imaginative way, the novel has remained a favorite children’s classic which has stood the test of time.